Carrie Fisher has died at the age of 60. No doubt Fisher’s biggest role, and what she’ll be remembered for, is embodying the hope and fire of Star Wars’ Princess Leia. But that character is just one of many reasons why so many people love Fisher.
Off camera, Fisher was brassy, salty, and incredibly funny. She wasn’t afraid to say things that would make you wince and laugh — she once told Stephen Colbert that even in galaxies far, far away, women are subject to double standards. And she was nimble and quick with her wit.
Perhaps one of the greatest interviews Fisher ever gave was with Good Morning America in 2015, before the release of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Fisher had reprised the role of Leia — now a general — in the film, and she turned its promotional tour into a one-woman standup comedy act with some help from her French bulldog, Gary.
“I'm a female in Hollywood over the age of, let's say 40, and then, we could also say 50,” she told GMA’s Amy Robach on how difficult it was to convince her to play Leia again. “You don't have to ask yourself if you want to work at that age."
After Robach showed Fisher a clip of her original Star Wars audition tape, noting that Fisher had said in the past that she doesn’t like watching herself, Fisher continued.
"I'm 19! Why wouldn't I like watching that?” Fisher said. “You like it less as you roll along. I can't say that to you,” she said, commenting on Robach’s appearance, “but people who are normal, that have other genes, other than yours ... they don't like it as much."
The two also discussed Fisher’s weight loss for the film — but only because Robach brought it up.
"I did lose weight, and I think it's a stupid conversation,” Fisher said, quickly shutting her down and flipping the script: "But you're so thin! Let's talk about it. How do you keep that going on? Do you exercise every day?”
By the end of the interview, Fisher had Robach and the entire GMA crew laughing in response to her sly, wry, and ultimately hilarious observations about sexism and ageism in Hollywood. Watching the clip again now offers just a small glimpse of the person Fisher was and the joy she brought to so many people — a joy even bigger than the storied movie franchise she was an integral part of.
